one oh one
by Mac-alicious
Summary: A collection of one-shots for LaPaige's One Hundred And One Prompt Challenge. Current One-shot: Broken.
1. Taste

**A/N: **This is my first oneshot for LaPaige's one-oh-one (101) prompt challenge thing. It started as a drabble but grew and grew. Suddenly it was a oneshot (9 written pages). Anyway, I love taking Disney characters and putting them in dark, gritty, and all together dirty situations. In other words, warping and twisting them in total NON-DISNEY ways. Haha…Anyway, enjoy. R&R! Thanks. –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Camp Rock, because if I did, these characters wouldn't be allowed to even contemplate appearing on the Disney Channel. Yet they do, thus proving they're not mine.

**Taste**

The girl he lost his virginity to (he couldn't remember her name anymore, he wasn't sure he even knew it to begin with) had tasted like strawberries and champagne, which was exactly what he recalled she had been enjoying when he approached her at the party celebrating Connect 3's successful debut tour. He had taken the champagne fluke out of her hand, placing it aside on the bar, before leading her to an empty office down the hall from where the party was being held. He could still hear the music pounding through the walls as he helped her to sit on a desk at the far end of the room. After that, there wasn't much else he remembered about that night.

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Ella had tasted like marshmallows. He had watched her popping the sugary treats all night at the Camp Rock campfire. While others were cheerfully roasting marshmallows for s'mores, she was sitting off to the side eating the fluffy white confections right out of the bag. He had become entranced watching her tongue swirl around each one and he couldn't help himself from following her when she headed back to her cabin. When he pressed her up against the side of the cabin, out of sight of any of the other campers, the sweet taste filled his mouth. Coupled with the breathy moan that bubbled up in her throat, and the gentle way her hands clutched at his shoulders, he came to the conclusion that it was fitting. Yet it all felt wrong. He was still searching for the girl with the voice, but he told himself that his needs were more of a priority.

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Peggy had tasted like coffee. They were the last two left in the studio attempting to work out the kinks in the song they were supposed to have recorded three weeks before yesterday. With a sigh of frustration, she had set aside her guitar and picked up the now lukewarm coffee cup Connect 3's personal assistant had delivered before going home for the night. She finished off her coffee and tossed the cup in the direction of the trash can. She missed completely, but waved it off. She reached her hands behind her head and arched her back, stretching her tense muscles. He watched her every move carefully, her fluid, feminine movements causing something not so unexpected to rise up in him. He had been surrounded by pure testosterone—Nate, Jason and record executives—for weeks. He hadn't had simple contact with a member of the opposite sex in far too long. Due to the buildup of concentrated of sexual frustration, he couldn't resist the urge to lean over and kiss her senseless. As the bitter taste of coffee pooled on his tongue, he realized this may have been an error of judgment on his part, but he had gone too far to turn back He would deal with the consequences later.

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Caitlyn had tasted like bubblegum. She and Mitchie had come to visit him at the studio. They had realized something was wrong when Peggy stopped answering their calls. They had come to see if he knew what was going on with their friend as he was the one who had seen her most recently. He denied knowing anything and requested they fill him in when they found out what was up. Of course, he knew exactly what was wrong—the girl couldn't even look at him anymore when they had to work together. She felt guilty and ashamed about what happened, and he knew her probably should too, but at the moment he couldn't focus on anything except the way Caitlyn's lips twitched slightly as she chewed rather obnoxiously on her gum. He was so preoccupied, that he barely noticed that Mitchie was saying she had to head out. While Mitchie left to meet her parents, Caitlyn stayed behind. She didn't have to leave for awhile and he didn't mind the company. Her lips molded themselves around a bright pink bubble and he smiled as it popped and her tongue darted out to sweep the sticky mess back into her mouth. The sight made his mouth water for a piece of gum, and he resorted to stealing hers. He had a feeling this was even more wrong than what happened with Peggy, but as the bubblegum taste mingled in their joined mouths, he didn't care. She pulled away and told him she would be in the _bathroom_ with a wink, her voice low and seductive. As she disappeared dow the hall he sat down, leaned back in his chair and smirked widely. He gave the piece of gum now resting on his tongue a few purposeful chews before getting up to follow.

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Tess had tasted like vodka and tobacco. After his encounter with two of his close friends, he was reeling. It wasn't out of character for him to make bad decisions, but he usually tried to avoid making them so close to home. If he made a mistake with a nameless, faceless stranger, it couldn't come back around to bite him like it could with a friend he had to see regularly. He threw himself back into his old lifestyle—parties, clubs, and unfamiliar faces. Problem was, she was absorbing herself in a similar lifestyle. He ran into her in LA. He had been sitting at the bar of one of the more exclusive night clubs, when she came shimmying off the dance floor. She ordered herself a shot without even noticing him next to her. Neither of them was legal, and she was far from sober, but the bartender had no qualms in serving the front man of Connect 3 and the daughter of TJ Tyler without appropriate ID. She downed her shot and as she put the shot glass back down on the bar she saw him. Her gaze locked on his, she licked her lips slightly and without a word she began to head back to the dance floor. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, and swung her hips as she walked. He couldn't keep his eyes off her and she knew it. When she reached the edge of the dance floor, she glanced over her shoulder and beckoned him to follow her. This was exactly what he had intended to avoid, but he had a little bit of a buzz and he was already halfway to the dance floor. She led him to the middle of the crowd of dancers. He could feel the pulse of the music coursing through his body. He pulled her flush against him and they began to move together in time with the beat. His hands griped her hips, guiding her movements against him. When the song ended, they were both breathing heavily. They left the club, not long after that, sharing a cab back to her hotel. She invited him up and he accepted. He had been drawn in and he refused to retreat. Once inside her room, she stripped off her jacket, tossing it over a chair, and kicked off her high heels. She sat down on the large bed and slide back to rest against the pillows. He shed his jacket and pulled off his shoes. Then he climbed over her. He pressed her back into the bed as he kissed her. The tang of the smoke and the burn of the alcohol settled in the back of his throat. It wasn't until the next morning that he figured out that he had probably made everything so much worse.

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He had attended a bar-be-que at Mitchie's home which her parents had to celebrate the beginning of summer. All of their friends from Camp Rock were in attendance including all four girls he had involved himself with, none of whom could hold his gaze for longer than three seconds. He had counted. Mitchie wasn't speaking to him either. Within hours, Tess had begun to inform the world about their activities in the City of Angels. When Mitchie found out she left a short, yet resounding message on his voicemail. "_Tess, huh? Figures_." If she was this angry over Tess alone, he couldn't imagine how she would react over Caitlyn, Peggy, Ella and the champagne girl. Finally, after hours of being ignored, he attempted to get her to say at least one word to him.

"Mitch, just talk to me," he pleaded, catching her arm to stop her from walking away from him.

But she wouldn't. She pulled her arm out of his grasp. Feeling slightly embarrassed at what had occurred, he ducked his head and waited until everyone looked away to follow her inside. He found her in her room, lying on her bed and clutching a pillow to her chest. He knocked lightly on her open door. When she gave no response of "go away", he took that as an invitation to come in. He slowly walked forward and sat down at the edge of her bed. He remained silent, hoping that she would eventually initiate the conversation. She did, after a long while of sitting in a tense quiet.

"Why her?" She mumbled with her voice rough and slightly muffled.

"We were both in LA. I ran into her at a club and it sort of just happened," He answered, staring down at his hands.

She sat up abruptly, "But why _her?_ After the way she treated all of us? After all she did? How could you do that?"

"She changed Mitchie. She's your friend now, isn't she?" He defended, though he couldn't understand why. He completely agreed with her.

"That doesn't make this any easier," She responded, "It only makes it harder." She let out a small sigh, "How many times?"

"Mitch…"

"How many times did you go back to her?" She demanded.

"It was only the one time," he finally admitted, "But…she wasn't the only one."

"Who?" she asked, her eyes widening at the admission.

He told her everything. About the champagne and strawberries girl he couldn't remember (even though she had been long before he even met Mitchie), about Ella and the marshmallows, about Peggy and the coffee during that late night studio session, about Caitlyn and the bubblegum just moments after Mitchie had left, and about Tess and the vodka and tobacco at the nightclub. When he was finished, he turned to face her and to gauge her reaction. She was sitting completely still, her eyes clenched tightly closed.

"Mitchie, _say something_," he replied desperately after a long moment of silence.

"How could you?" She whispered, with her eyes still closed and her body tilted away from him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, "I don't know what made me do it. I feel terrible that I let myself get that far so many times. I never set out to hurt you, but I can see I did."

"It's just…all this time. The canoe rides, the whole I _have to _find the girl with the voice, _me, _everything we've been through…I thought you might actually have feelings for me," She shook her head slightly, "I guess that was stupid of me."

"Who's saying I don't?" he responded, reaching a hand over to lift her chin and make her look at him.

She pushed his hand away, "_You are_. You've been with not one or two but _four_ of our friends. You kept it from me and everyone else. I don't see how you could manage that while you had feelings for me."

"I know," he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I know it makes me a terrible person. I know you probably hate me for it, but I would take it all back if I could. Whatever I thought I was getting out of it, it wasn't worth it. It doesn't change anything, but I wanted you…I _want_ you, Mitch."

"I'm supposed to just believe that?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You don't trust me, I understand that. But I will do whatever it takes to earn back your trust," he responded firmly, "I will prove to you that there is no one else I want but _you_."

She sighed, "I can't…I can't just open myself up to the possibility of you hurting me again. I can't just _forgive_ you that easily."

"I don't expect you to," he took her hands in his. When she didn't pull away, he continued, "I am just asking for a second chance to show you I can be different."

She raised her head to meet his eyes, "If you hurt me again."

"I won't," he shook his head, "I _can't_."

"Everyone deserves a second chance. And even though this is probably your third or fourth," she began, "I am willing to give it to you. I've had feelings for you for a long time Shane, and I should have acted on them a year ago."

He shook his head again, "No, I should have been strong enough to make a move before all this…" he trailed off and picked up on another train of thought, "Would it be okay if I kissed you?"

She hesitated a moment, thinking it over. Eventually, she nodded slightly and he smiled. He shifted closer to her on the bed. He reached out a hand to cup her cheek. Slowly, he leaned forward and captured her lips with his. He kept the kiss gentle and light until she began to respond, tentatively kissing him back. He began to deepen the kiss, molding his lips with hers. He let his hand fall from her cheek and slip down to grasp the back of her neck, lightly tangling in her hair and drawing her closer. A small sigh mingled amongst their joined lips. He tried to determine whether it had come from him or her and failed. Her hands clutched at his shoulders and he tried to memorize how he felt in that moment, because nothing else he had ever experienced could compare to it.

And Mitchie, she tasted like something indescribable. Unable to find words that would do it any justice, he could only call it _Mitchie_, as it was a taste uniquely hers.

—the end—


	2. Broken

**A/N: **This is my second one-shot for LaPaige's one-oh-one (101) prompt challenge thing. I think I mentioned on the first one, that I like to take Disney-characters and put them in Non-Disney-esque situations. I sort of did here again. :D Well, anyway, it's a future-fic. I would say all of the Camp Rockers are somewhat famous hence the private waiting room. Hospitals do have them. I've been in one before (not cause I'm famous or anything but because we had so many people waiting). So enjoy! R&R. Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Camp Rock. Disney gets to keep their bubble-gum and sugar-cube characters and plotlines…I'll just play with them a while (read "twist and warp them into unrecognizable, dark and sinister and sensual things") lol.

**Broken**

Mitchie Torres had been in a car accident. She was fragile and broken and no one was certain if she was going to make it through surgery.

The private hospital waiting room was buzzing with emotion as many of her friends and her parents waited for the news. Her parents had been pacing down the hall, every so often stopping at the nurse's station to see if there was any update. Shane had refused a chair and instead sat on the ground against a wall. He had his knees pulled up against his chest and his arms wrapped around them. His red rimmed, bloodshot eyes stared out of focus at nothing. He wouldn't admit it but they could all tell that he had been crying. None of them would say anything about it because if they were in his position they wouldn't be taking it as well as he was. That was his fiancée broken and fighting for her life. They would have been falling apart at the seams, unable to sustain the level of strength he was exhibiting.

Nate and Jason were keeping a close eye on him from their seats on the other side of the room. They were already to do anything Shane asked of them. If he needed them, they were right there waiting.

Tess sat scrunched up on one of the large cushioned chairs. She had been sitting there since the paramedics had released her—only needing to assess a few cuts and bruises, the worst damage was a gash on her forehead that required stitches. The trauma of being in the car with Mitchie at the time of the accident was enough to keep her quiet. She kept sparing nervous glances at Caitlyn a few seats down, who was glaring in her direction persistently.

Caitlyn hadn't incurred even as much injury as Tess, being in the backseat, but the skin visible around her collar was discolored black and blue from where the seatbelt caught her. Her fear and sadness over Mitchie was at the moment, overshadowed by the anger she felt radiating toward Tess.

Caitlyn's glare settled into a deep scowl. Tess noticed the change in expression and hugged herself tighter. She averted her eyes toward the floor. She didn't lift her gaze until Mitchie's parents returned from their most recent trip to the nurse's station. All eyes in the room turned toward them in question. Connie sunk into a chair, waving off their questioning stares.

Steve sat down next to his wife, putting an arm around her shoulders, "No news yet."

Shane suddenly pushed himself off the floor, taking a few steps toward the door, "I just…I need to know what's going on…"

Nate and Jason were out of their seats instantly to keep him from leaving the room.

"We know you're anxious and that the lack of an update is upsetting," Nate began, "But you don't want to go out there. They gave us a private waiting room for a reason. It will turn into a media frenzy and you don't want that. You need to stay focused on Mitchie and that means staying here. Let her parents handle it."

"Yeah man, you have to wait it out," Jason added. "We know it's hard, but that's all you can do for her right now."

"Alright," Shane agreed, allowing them to lead him to a chair. "But if we don't hear something soon…"

"We'll find out something for you," Nate promised.

"She's going to be okay Shane," Caitlyn suddenly spoke. "She has to be okay."

The whole time Caitlyn had spoken she had her eyes trained on Tess. Tess ducked her head and her shoulders began to visibly shake as she started to cry again. The tension in the room began to grow thicker as everyone became impatient for an update. Mitchie's parents began to pace the length of the room again, until Nate convinced them to take a quick trip to the cafeteria to get coffee. They were resistant at first but, as Connie's eyes began to droop with exhaustion, they gave in. Almost immediately, Shane took up where they left off. He stalked back and forth, muttering incomprehensible strings of phrases to himself. Mitchie's parents returned a short time later with coffee for all of them. Shane took his and held it for awhile. Then after not taking a sip, he sat it down on a table and forgot all about it. Nate and Jason gracefully took theirs and sipped on them generously. Caitlyn only took small sips off of hers, her stomach still uneasy with anger. Tess wasn't even aware of any of it going on around her.

"Tess, dear," Connie replied weakly, "We brought coffee."

Tess slowly raised her head as Connie reached out a cup to her. Tess unfolded her arms and took the cup from Connie, cradling the cup in her hands. Tess glanced around the room again. Each person had their heads lowered, except for Caitlyn, who shook her head when Tess looked her way. Tess would have cowered under the intense stare if it wasn't at that exact moment a doctor had entered the room.

"Are you the parents of Mitchie Torres?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," Steve answered as he and Connie stood.

Shane stood up and stepped forward. He swallowed hard and only released a little tension when Nate and Jason came to stand on either side of him. Caitlyn and Tess both stood to receive the news. The doctor paused for a moment, before beginning to explain.

"She made it through surgery. She lost a lot of blood and the surgery put a lot of strain on her body. She's stable for now, but we need to keep a close eye on her. First things first, we need to see if she wakes up—"

"Are you saying there's a chance she won't wake up?" Connie cried out.

"Ma'am," the doctor began.

"Just answer the question," Shane choked out.

"We don't know yet," the doctor answered.

"Oh God," Connie turned into her husband's arms.

As he hugged her to him, Steve asked, "Can we see her?"

The doctor began to explain about how they could visit Mitchie. Caitlyn leaned in close to Tess, hissing in her ear, "If she doesn't pull through, this is on you."

Tess looked up to see Nate watching the exchange with a frown on his face. He had heard every word, despite Caitlyn's hushed tone. Tess let out a strangled sob before she darted from the room. Caitlyn was right on her tail. Caitlyn didn't catch up with Tess until she had excited the hospital into its garden-like courtyard.

"Where do you think you're going?" Caitlyn yelled at her.

"Away!" Tess exclaimed hoarsely, "I have to get…just away!"

"You don't get to run Tess," Caitlyn responded. "You get to face the shame and the guilt. You're going to go back in there and wait until they tell us that Mitchie is going to be okay."

"I can't be in there…I can't…" Tess's voice gave out. She continued to repeat in a near silent whisper, "I can't, I can't, I can't…"

"You _will_," Caitlyn corrected, moving until she was standing right in front of Tess, "because if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have even been on the road tonight."

Tess pressed her hands to her temples, "No."

_The headlights were blinding as they approached the driver's side of the car. Unaware at first, Mitchie's eyes were on the passenger seat as the initial impact sends her car out of control…_

"Yes," Caitlyn shook her head, "You did this. This is your fault."

_"Thank you guys for picking me up," Tess murmured as she hugged herself and shrunk into the passenger seat._

_"If you didn't put yourself in these kinds of situations, you wouldn't need us to pick you up," Mitchie responded._

_"How many times has it been now?" Caitlyn asked sarcastically from the backseat. She leaned forward to look at Tess, "Ten, twenty? Thirty maybe?"_

_"It hasn't been that many times and you know it," Tess became defensive. _

_"It might as well be. We've dragged ourselves out of bed at ungodly hours to get in a car and drive across town to find you…" Caitlyn scoffed. "You're walking around on unfamiliar streets, looking like a whore…It's a miracle you weren't mugged or __**raped**__."_

_"I tried to say thank you Caitlyn," Tess sat up and twisted around in her seat to look at Caitlyn, "I'm sorry my ride bailed on me. The party was harmless. I didn't even have anything to drink. But my date disappeared in the car we came in and I didn't know anyone else there. What did you expect me to do?"_

_"I expected better of you," Mitchie glanced over at Tess. "After last time, I thought you were done with suspicious clubs, parties in unfamiliar places, and guys you shouldn't trust or depend on. After David and what he tried to get you to do…I thought you were done."_

_"Well maybe I'm not." Tess snapped. "Maybe I am twenty-two and I want to be a little reckless and wild. Maybe, I am not you Mitchie Torres. Just because you've got everything figured out—your career, your future, your __**fiancé**__—doesn't mean you can try to force me into the same little box you've tucked yourself into. I'm not boring."_

_"That's uncalled for Tess," Caitlyn replied. _

_"Uncalled for? No. What's uncalled for is you calling me a whore. Just because __**I **__can have any guy I want and you can't hold down a decent man—"_

_"That's enough Tess," Mitchie called out._

_"How long did the last one last? A month? Three weeks? Why did he leave you Caitlyn, huh? Why?" Tess taunted, "Because he met me. Because he couldn't help himself from coming onto me. Of course I rejected him. Because, really, who wants __**your**__ sloppy seconds—"_

_"I said that's enough Tess," Mitchie nearly screamed at the top of her lungs._

"No!" Tess screamed, rounding on Caitlyn, "No it's not."

"She wasn't paying attention because of _you_. She took her eyes off the road because of _you_," Caitlyn continued.

"The other driver was drunk, he ran a red light," Tess shook her head, tears beginning to fall again.

"She would have seen him Tess. If she hadn't been worrying about _you_," Caitlyn said.

"You don't know that," Tess murmured.

"I do know that and you know it too," Caitlyn corrected.

_"I may be boring and Caitlyn may have some relationship issues, but we don't and never will subscribe to the lifestyle you're trying to lead Tess," Mitchie continued. She turned her gaze toward Tess, "So maybe don't call us the next time your date is a worthless piece of shit. Don't call us when you've had too much to drink and you can't find a sober ride. Don't call us if you're lost in some godforsaken part of town you should never have ventured into in the first place. Just don't call us anymore, because I can't keep up with you and honestly Tess, I don't __**want**__ to anymore—"_

_"Mitchie! Look out!" Caitlyn's voice echoed through the car, followed by the earsplitting sound of crunching metal and breaking glass._

_Then there was only silence._

"You're the reason that Mitchie's parents might lose their daughter. You're the reason that Shane might lose the love of his life. You're the reason Nate and Jason and all of her other friends might lose their friend. You're the reason that I might lose my _best_ friend…and I hate you for it. If they knew they'd hate you for it too—"

"Caitlyn," Nate's voice rang out, "That's enough."

"But she—" Caitlyn started as she whipped around to look at Nate standing in the doorway which led out to the courtyard.

Nate cut her off, "Look at what you're doing to her. Do you see her? Do you see how you're making her feel?"

"She should feel that way," Caitlyn responded coolly.

Nate shook his head, "Caitlyn, you're wrong. Just… go back to the waiting room. I will handle Tess."

"Fine, whatever," Caitlyn spat as she walked away, "I don't even want to look at her anymore."

Tess had sunk down onto one of the concrete benches that lined the courtyard. Nate walked over and sat down beside her. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder only to have her jerk away from him. She slid out of his reach, her eyes wide as she turned to look at him.

"What are you doing?" Tess questioned.

"Are you alright?" Nate responded.

Tess frowned, "Why do _you_ care? You hate me, just like Caitlyn said…"

"I don't hate you," Nate shook his head. "You shouldn't listen to Caitlyn. She's wrong."

"No, she's not. It's entirely my fault," Tess cried. "You should just go before something else horrible happens because of me."

"This isn't your fault Tess," Nate replied, "You didn't cause this. No one could control what happened. The other driver is to blame—he was drunk and ran a red light. We all know that. None of us blame you."

"But Caitlyn—"

"Caitlyn is just upset. She's hurt and angry. She needed a place to redirect all that frustration and you were an easy target. But you didn't deserve it," Nate explained.

"I did this," Tess began to mutter repeatedly under her breath.

"Tess, look at me," Nate said firmly. When she didn't, he moved closer to her and caught her chin with one hand. He forced her to turn toward him. Making sure her gaze was locked on his, he continued, "You did not do this. This is not your fault. There was nothing you could have done to stop this. You have to stop blaming yourself. This was out of your control."

"We were fighting Nate. We were arguing and she took her eyes off the road to tell me she wanted me out of her life…if she doesn't …I would never forgive myself," Tess shook her head, "I would _never_ forgive myself."

"Tess, this is not your fault," Nate repeated.

Tess struggled to move away from Nate but he moved his hands to hold her waist tightly. She closed her eyes, unable to look at the pure sincerity shining in his eyes. She didn't believe him, but if she kept looking into his eyes, she knew she would start to.

"Nate, please…"

"This is _not your fault,_" Nate said one final time.

Tess's eyes snapped open to meet his. Then without warning, her body went limp and she fell against his chest. She began to shake as she cried with her face buried in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him. Her hands gripped his shirt, pulling him closer. He tried to soothe her by lightly rubbing her back.

"Shhh," Nate murmured, "It's okay. It's going to be okay. She's going to be okay."

"You think so?" Tess's voice was muffled as she spoke with her face pressed against his shirt.

"She has to be okay, for Shane's sake. I don't know what he would do if she…" Nate trailed off.

"What would any of us do without her?" Tess mused.

"I don't know," Nate answered honestly, though he assumed her question had been rhetorical. "She's the reason we all became friends. Without her…I don't know where we would be."

Tess nodded slowly, "Her parents must be going crazy."

"We all are. But everyone copes with things differently. Her parents are holding strong."

"This just isn't right. This shouldn't have happened like this. She didn't deserve this. She was the strongest of all of us…if she can break so easily…" Tess began to ramble.

Nate shushed her again, "It's going to be okay."

"I'm supposed to be the broken one," Tess whispered.

"No, you're not," Nate responded, "You just need someone to believe in you."

Tess scoffed, the sound distorted by the tears that still fell, "Too bad no one does. Mitchie did at one time, but I messed that up…You don't know how much it hurt when she told me that she was done with me…"

"I know she didn't mean it," Nate hugged Tess a little tighter. "Mitchie has too big a heart to ever cut anyone out of it. You're one of her best friends. She was probably just lost at how to help you."

"Maybe I can't be helped. Maybe I'm a hopeless case," Tess mumbled.

"I don't believe that," Nate replied. "You are a good person Tess Tyler. You've hit some rough patches down the road, but you'll pull through. Just like Mitchie will. Things will get better. I believe that. _I believe in you_."

Tess pulled back a bit to look Nate in the eyes. She offered him a weak smile. He returned it immediately and pulled her back into his arms. He held her close as she wrapped her arms around him and tucked her head in the crook of his neck. They sat comfortably that way until the sound of footsteps running toward them filled their ears. They separated as Jason arrived in front of them, out of breath and panting slightly.

"Mitchie's awake. She's asking for you Tess. She keeps saying sorry over and over. We should hurry up there," Jason announced in one quick breath, "Come on guys."

Jason headed back in the direction he came, but Nate and Tess held back a moment. Nate called to Jason, "We'll be right behind you."

Tess breathed a sigh of relief and brought her hands up to her face, "Thank God."

"I told you everything would be okay," Nate whispered.

Tess uncovered her face and used her hands to push the hair out of her eyes. She turned back to Nate, "Thank you for this. I needed someone who could understand what I was feeling…"

Nate reached up a hand to cup her cheek, and Tess leaned into his touch, "I'm here for you. I know we haven't been the closest out of the group, but maybe we can change that…"

Tess nodded, "I'd like that."

Nate stood and offered his hand to Tess. He helped her to her feet, but didn't loosen his grip on her hand. They exchanged a small smile as they began to walk back to the waiting room so they could be directed to Mitchie's room. Just before they reached the door, Tess hesitated. Nate offered her an encouraging smile and squeezed her hand gently. It was motivation enough for her. She took a deep breath and followed him inside.

The broken pieces were on the mend.


	3. Child

**A/N: **Here's the next one-shot in my collection for LaPaige's one-oh-one (101) prompt challenge thing. Again, have fun with my warped versions of the Camp Rock characters. Enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Camp Rock. Disney gets to keep their bubble-gum and sugar-cube characters and plotlines…I'll just play with them a while (read "twist and warp them into unrecognizable, dark and sinister and sensual things") lol.

**Child**

_Positive_.

Tess stared down at the pregnancy test in utter disbelief. She swallowed hard as she tossed it into the trash can beside her. She was sitting on the ground in her bathroom, leaning against the wall next to her bathtub. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head upon them. She let out a frustrated growl which gave way to a sob that made her entire body tremble.

What was she going to do?

* * *

Tess was in a particularly nasty predicament. Not only was she barely eighteen—still a child herself—and with child, she wasn't sure what to do about the situation with the father. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to tell her wonderful boyfriend, of nearly two years, that she was at least two months pregnant. Then there was the matter of explaining how she got pregnant in the first place since they had agreed they were going to wait when they first got together. She couldn't imagine saying out loud to her sweet, loving Nate that she was two months pregnant after cheating on him in a drunken stupor with his best friend. And to top it all off after she was done breaking Nate's heart, she would have to tell Shane he was going to be a father. She wasn't sure how he or his girlfriend, Mitchie, was going to take it.

One mistake of a night was going to turn the lives of four people upside down. _Five_, five people, Tess corrected herself as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. There was a life growing inside of there and Tess was completely unprepared for what was ahead of her.

* * *

Tess was supposed to go out with Nate to celebrate their anniversary, but she didn't feel comfortable celebrating the milestone before she was completely honest with him. She had to go through with it before she lost her nerve. She arrived on his doorstep an hour before they were supposed to go out. She knocked on the door and prayed that he was the one to answer it and not Jason or Shane, especially not Shane. She hugged her arms around herself while she waited for someone to open the door. She could feel the tears pricking at the back of her eyes, but she couldn't fall apart, not yet.

The door swung open to reveal Nate, dressed and ready for their date, and she nearly burst into tears at the sight of him.

"Tess, you're early…and not dressed," Nate trailed off as he looked her up and down.

"I need to talk to you," Tess's voice was small and quiet.

Nate swallowed hard, "Okay, come in. We can talk inside."

He gestured for her to come into the apartment. She walked past him into the living room. She glanced around to make sure neither Shane nor Jason was in the room. Nate closed the door and followed her. He had his hands shoved into his pockets and looked nervous. Tess took a deep breath—he shouldn't be the one feeling nervous.

"Do you want to sit down?" Nate asked.

Tess shook her head, "But maybe you should."

Nate looked up to meet her eyes, but she turned away from him. She heard his feet shuffle as he moved closer to the couch. "I think I will. I feel like my legs are going to give out. You're scaring me Tess, and you haven't even said anything."

"Nate, I'm so sorry," Tess started before the tears began to fall unchecked.

Nate instantly jumped to his feet to console her. He reached out to pull her into his arms, but she backed away. She put her hands up to keep him from coming any closer to her. If he touched her, she would fall apart even faster, and then she would lose the chance to tell him the truth. Knowing how much he loved and cared for her, only made it hurt even more that she had to do this. He was trying to meet her gaze but she was avoiding his eyes.

"Tess…" Nate began.

"I'm pregnant," Tess blurted out.

Nate's question died in his throat and he took a step back to collect himself. "Um…_what_?"

"I'm pregnant," Tess repeated.

"Are you sure?" Nate questioned frantically, "I mean, we never…"

"Yes, I'm sure," Tess nodded, "And I know."

"Then who?" Nate demanded, moving toward her. Tess raised her tear-streaked face to meet his eyes and he stumbled back again. "No, I don't want to know…I can't…I can't deal with this right now."

Tess watched as Nate spun around and disappeared down the hall. She flinched as she heard his bedroom door slam. Another sob wrenched its way out of her throat. Her shoulders shook and she could see though her tears. She tried to breathe, but her lungs wouldn't fill, leaving her chest painfully tight. She started to stagger to the door, when another voice filled her ears.

"So, you're pregnant?"

Tess turned to see Shane stepping out of the shadows of the hallway. She managed to murmur, "Nearly two months."

"Who's the father? Since it's obviously not Nate's…" Shane started to walk toward her.

"Don't do that Shane…" Tess replied weakly. "You know the answer to that question."

"I don't know how I could," Shane tilted his head to look at her. His eyes were cold.

Tess shook her head and tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. "Do you know how hard it was to admit to Nate that I had betrayed his trust, betrayed him? Do you know how hard it was to tell him the lifetime consequence of my mistake?" Her voice was a whisper, clouded by the free flowing tears. "Nothing I could ever do will make me feel any worse than I do knowing I hurt Nate the way I did, so you don't get to play dumb. You don't get to deny your part in this."

"It's terrible that you cheated on poor Nate, he hardly deserves such treatment," Shane responded. "I don't know how anyone is capable of such a thing. I could never hurt Mitchie that way."

"You bastard," Tess muttered.

"Speak up Tess, I didn't catch that…" Shane leaned closer.

Tess looked up at his smirking face and she could feel the room begin to spin as her world crumbled out from under here. She wanted to yell at him, tell him off, argue and fight him, but she couldn't muster up the strength to be angry. Her heart was breaking for Nate, for herself, and for this child. She was too weak to handle his denial.

So she ran.

* * *

When Tess got home that night, she crawled into bed, buried herself under her covers, and didn't surface again for three days. Once she found the little strength she needed to pull herself out of bed, she didn't leave her house except to make a few vitally important appointments she had. She made one trip to the grocery store to stock up on enough food and drink to sustain her for a couple more weeks.

She tried calling Nate, over and over and over. She wanted to apologize, to beg and plead, and to do anything to make him not hate her anymore. He wouldn't answer. She hung up on his voicemail unable to leave a message she knew he was likely to ignore or delete. Once her call was picked up and her heart jumped into her throat. But it was only Jason.

"I'm sorry, Tess. Nate doesn't want to talk to you," Jason said quietly. He hated having to be the bearer of bad news.

"I understand," Tess replied. She hesitated but eventually added, "Just tell him that I love him and I'm so sorry. I hate myself for doing this to him, but I couldn't stand it if he hated me."

"I'll tell him, Tess," Jason agreed. "I just can't guarantee he'll want to hear it."

She started to call Shane once, dead set on making him admit that he had made the same mistake as her. But after one ring, she hung up. She couldn't face him anymore than he could face his problems.

* * *

Eventually, Mitchie was sent as a messenger. A go between that could attempt to remain completely neutral. This didn't affect her the same way as her friends. If only the poor girl knew how much it really affected her.

When Tess opened the door, Mitchie stood in the doorway, bearing a platter of baked goods. "My mom baked them fresh for you. She's concerned. We all are."

Tess stepped out of the way to let Mitchie in. Mitchie stepped inside with a wide smile on her lips—wider than usual, a sign that it was fake. She sat the cookies and sugary assortments on the counter in Tess's small kitchen and then turned back to Tess, who was still lingering by the door.

"Have you been to the doctor?" Mitchie jumped right in.

Tess crossed the room to curl up on the couch, where she had been before Mitchie arrived. She shifted the book she had been skimming out of sight. "Yes. I went about a week ago and I have another appointment for Friday."

"Did he talk to you about your options?" Mitchie asked. She started to sit next to Tess, thought about it, and remained standing.

"He said he was obligated to keep me fully informed, but I told him I only have one option," Tess answered softly. "I'm keeping the baby."

"Are you sure that's what you want? You're only eighteen and the father…" Mitchie trailed off. "Does the father know?"

"He knows," Tess said simply.

"And?" Mitchie prompted.

"And he seems to be under the impression that he can pretend we never slept together," Tess responded. She was mildly irritated so she added, "And you can sit down, it's not _contagious_."

Mitchie immediately perched herself on the edge of the couch, "Sorry."

"It's okay," Tess murmured. At least, Mitchie wasn't so closed minded that she couldn't bring herself to visit. Though, Tess was sure if Mitchie knew the whole truth, she'd be gone before Tess could blink an eye. "Thank you for being here."

"Tess, you're my friend," Mitchie said. "You need me, so I'm here. I don't like what you did to Nate. I don't agree with all the decisions you've made, but I'm still your friend."

"You're not here because I need you," Tess shook her head. "You're here because Nate asked Shane to ask you to tell me to stop calling."

Mitchie's eyes widened, but she didn't correct Tess, "That's not completely true. Nate asked me personally to tell you if I saw you, that he needed time and that he would prefer it if you didn't call while he took that time to figure out where his head is."

Tess couldn't stop the tears that sprung forth. She had been experiencing that a lot lately—sudden, unannounced tears—and she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with hormones.

"It was a mistake," Tess cried. "I was drunk and he was there. I was missing Nate and I didn't know what I was doing. It wasn't supposed to happen. He had someone. I had someone. And…and I just love Nate so much. I don't know what to do without him. I'm so sorry and I don't know how to fix it."

Mitchie moved over on the couch and pulled Tess into a hug, "Shh, it's okay."

"No it's not," Tess shook her head. "I'm losing him."

Mitchie shifted to wrap her arm around Tess tighter, and the movement dislodged the book Tess was trying to hide. She pulled it out and smoothed her hand over the cover. "A baby name book? You're really serious about keeping the baby?"

"Yes," Tess nodded. "This is my child. I couldn't give it away."

"Then can I give you some advice?" Mitchie asked. Tess shrugged, pulling away from Mitchie. "You need to be strong for this baby, and if that means giving up on Nate for awhile, you need to do it."

Tess's head whipped around, her eyes wide. "I can't do that. I can't give up on him. I love him too much."

"Tess, you might have to," Mitchie said.

Deep down, Tess knew Mitchie was right—so she stopped calling.

* * *

When she started to show, her label execs started to ask questions. Of course, she was obligated to tell them the truth. It resulted in meetings with every person important to her career. And as they began to discuss the "issue", all Tess could think of was the next time she was going in for an ultrasound, when she would have the opportunity to find out if it was a boy or a girl.

"Do you know what will happen if the press gets a hold of this?"

"You do remember that they ripped apart Jamie Lynn…and there was a father in the picture there."

"All the sympathy is going to go to Nate Black. The poor boy whose girlfriend cheats on him and gets knocked up."

"This is going to require serious damage control. _If_ it's even salvageable. We'll have to wait and see, I guess."

"Look, the only people who know have no reason to share it with anyone," Tess cut in. "I'll take the time off that I need and everyone will be happy."

"And what are we supposed to tell everyone about your mysterious disappearance from the spotlight?"

"Tell them I'm in rehab, tell them I moved to the Arctic to save the penguins, tell them I've taken a vow of silence and isolation," Tess exclaimed. "I don't care what you tell them. But need I remind you that this is a child, a _human being_, you can't just make it go away."

Tess left the room on her final word and let the door slam. She may have just signed her career's death sentence, but she found she couldn't come up with a reason to care.

* * *

"The makeover squad has arrived," Mitchie announced as she stepped into Tess's apartment. "We come bearing decorating supplies."

Tess peeked her head out of what used to be her guest bedroom. The first thing she saw was Mitchie's smiling face. The second thing she saw was Shane coming through the doorway behind his girlfriend. He smiled and gave a small wave as he saw Tess. Tess swallowed hard, before leaving the room to greet her guests.

"What is Shane doing here?" Tess asked lightly.

"He wanted to help. He heard there was a crib that needed to be put together," Mitchie answered. Then she turned slightly to Shane, "Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention there is also a dresser and a rocking chair that need to be picked up from my parents' house. My mom is letting Tess have some of my old nursing furniture."

Shane rolled his eyes, "And here I was thinking I was getting off easy."

Mitchie grinned, shrugging slightly, "You should know me better than that by now. Why don't you start on the crib while we start decorating? Then we can pick up the rest of the furniture together."

"Sounds good to me," Shane responded. He looked up to meet Tess's eyes, "Is that alright with you, Tess?"

There were a lot of things Tess was not alright with, and that was the least of them—but she wasn't allowed to say so. "That's fine with me."

"Great!" Mitchie dug into one of the bags on her arm. She pulled out two sheets of wall ornaments. "I've got flowers and cars…you didn't tell me if it's a boy or a girl yet."

Tess smiled weakly as she stepped forward to take one of the sets from Mitchie, "It's a girl."

Mitchie squealed, "Pinks and bows and ruffles! Oh that's wonderful. Is the room pink?"

"Had it painted last week," Tess nodded. "Have a look."

Mitchie squealed again and disappeared into the room. Tess looked up to meet Shane's eyes again. She wasn't afraid of his reaction anymore. She was about to take on the biggest responsibility of her life—single motherhood was scarier than Shane's petty excuses. She was learning to be strong for herself and her daughter. She stood up tall, shoulders back.

"You're going to have a daughter, Shane," Tess whispered, "Are you ready to accept that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Tess," Shane replied, "Man those hormones of yours must have you all confused."

He patted her shoulders as he moved past her to join Mitchie in the soon-to-be nursery. Tess shook her head—his denial was disappointing. She took a deep breath and followed him. She walked in to see Mitchie unloading the bags she had carried in. It was a mountain of pink and lace on top of the changing table that was already built and put into place under the window.

As if sensing Tess's presence, Mitchie began to explain, "I was hoping it would be a girl. There was so much more stuff to choose from. I hope you like what I got. I wish you could have come with me. You would have loved it."

Tess walked up to stand next to Mitchie, "I'm trying to keep everything on the DL, you know that. The label has been spazzing for months. My shopping will have to be done online for awhile."

"It's going to get out eventually," Mitchie responded. "I had to fed off a group of paparazzi when I was shopping, told them my Aunt was pregnant and I was getting baby shower gifts. Lucky for you, my Aunt actually is pregnant, if they decide to check up on it."

"I'm sorry, you shouldn't have to do this for me," Tess murmured, unconsciously placing a protective hand on her rounding belly.

"I want to," Mitchie replied, putting a hand over Tess's. "I told you. I'm here for you and this child. You can't do this alone. Plus, I'm putting in my time to be ready to be her Godmother."

Tess smiled, "Of course, but thank you anyway. I really appreciate it."

"Okay," Mitchie changed the subject, "Let's get some music on and get started on this thing."

"Before you do that, can I get a little help here?" Shane piped up. The two turned to look at him, where he stood staring down at the box for the crib and looking confused and helpless.

Mitchie laughed to herself, "I should have enlisted better help. How is he supposed to manage putting the crib together if he can't even get the box open?"

While Mitchie helped Shane sort the crib out, Tess went to retrieve her radio. She took it back into the other room, plugged it in and turned up the volume. Upbeat music instantly filled the room.

_"You walk and talk like you're some new sensation. You move in circles, you don't need an invitation…"_

Mitchie perked up from her seat on the floor. She was helping Shane organize the pieces to the crib. "I _love_ this song."

Her head began to move in time with the music and she sang along.

_"…falling down, the world starts spinning round. __You__… when you're falling down, you know I'll be around, when you're falling down, falling down…"_

Tess couldn't help but get caught up as well. The two sang along with the radio as they began to sort through the decorations.

_"…the truth is blurry, but the lies are getting clearer. Your eyes are fixed, you smile so elastic. You gave me flowers, but they're all just made of plastic…"_

Tess glanced over at Shane as they began to sort out what they were going to put up on the walls. Eventually, the façade he was putting up would come down. He would slip up and the secret would come out. She knew she would probably lose Mitchie in the process, and once Nate found out, he would never want to speak to her again, though he was doing a good job of that already—but it needed to be known. But she couldn't say a word until he admitted it to himself.

* * *

Tess stood in the doorway of the almost finished nursery. Mitchie and Shane had left a while before to pick up the rest of the furniture and would be back soon. She had one hand on her stomach and a soft smile on her lips. The nearly complete room gave the impression that she was ready for what was coming. It helped, because she was nowhere near ready. She knew it was going to be hard, it was going to be a struggle, raising a child when she was so young—but the thin that scared her most was not the baby girl she was about to bring into the world but that she was most likely going to have to find a way to live the rest of her life without Nate. She was jolted out of her troubled thoughts by a loud knock on her door. Tess frowned—Mitchie had been using the spare key since Tess showed it to her a few weeks before. She opened the door for Shane and the rocking chair.

"Where's Mitchie?" She asked instantly.

"She stayed at her parents'," Shane answered as he carried the chair into the apartment. "She's going through some of her old baby clothes. I drove the furniture over in Connie's catering truck. Mitchie's going to be back over in a bit with whatever she finds that's sufficiently pink or covered in ruffles."

"Okay," Tess murmured, and gestured for him to continue on to the nursery.

Tess stood in the corner of the room to direct Shane as to where to place everything. Along with the dresser and rocking chair, Connie had sent over a couple pink shaded lamps and a small toy chest. Once the truck had been unloaded of its contents, Shane turned to Tess.

"I guess I'll just wait for Mitchie," Shane replied.

"Make yourself at home," Tess said coolly as she made her way into her kitchen to make herself some tea.

Shane made a dramatic show of sitting down in one of the chairs situated next to her couch. He spoke loudly so Tess could hear him, "You know, Mitchie thinks you're brave trying to do all this on your own…I don't know if I agree."

"I don't care what you think of me, Shane," Tess responded.

"But you care what Nate thinks of you," Shane continued to taunt her.

Tess left her kettle on the stove and walked back into her living room so she could look Shane in the eyes when she said, "I _love _Nate. I care about what he thinks because I want to be with him."

"He wants nothing to do with you as it is," Shane mocked. "But imagine what he would think of you if he knew it was his best friend's baby you were having…"

"He would hate me for it," Tess responded, "But at least he would know the truth. He deserves to know the truth. So does Mitchie."

Shane scoffed, "You don't think the truth would just make everything worse for you?"

"I know it will," Tess admitted. "But I'm having a baby. A living, breathing, beautiful child. And even though I might lose Nate forever because of how I hurt him, and I might lose Mitchie's friendship, and it will break my heart…I have to do what's best for this baby girl. And I can't raise her on lies Shane. And maybe you don't believe you owe me, or Mitchie or Nate the truth, but you damn sure ow it to her Shane. You owe it to your daughter."

Shane stood, chuckling cruelly under his breath, "Look Tess, we got drunk, we slept together and you got pregnant. Yes, it happened. But I don't own _anyone_ anything."

"Could you repeat that? I want to be sure I heard you properly." A weak voice spoke up from behind them.

They turned to see Mitchie standing in the doorway—tears running down her cheeks, and Tess's spare key gripped tight in an outstretched hand. Neither had heard the door open.

"Mitchie—" Tess started.

"Tess, don't," Mitchie shook her head.

"Mitchie…" Shane stepped toward her.

"Get out," Mitchie hissed.

"What?" Shane frowned.

"_Get. Out_." Mitchie repeated firmly. She pulled out his car keys and threw them at him. He caught them before they could hit him. "Leave my Mom's keys, and get out."

Shane reached into his pocket and pulled out Connie's keys. He dropped them on Tess's coffee table. "Mitchie, we can talk about this…"

"_Now,_" Mitchie nearly yelled, her voice going hoarse.

Shane scowled, looking back once to glare at Tess, and moved toward the door. "Fine."

He left, slamming the door closed behind him. The sound jolted Tess and she closed her eyes to still herself. When she opened them, Mitchie had moved further into the room. She deposited a bag she had with her into the chair Shane had just left. She didn't say a word and Tess was afraid to speak first. They stood together, quiet and still for a long time.

Finally, Mitchie spoke, "Why didn't you tell me it was Shane?"

"When he found out, he acted like it never happened. If I had told you, you wouldn't have believed me and you would have hated me even more thinking I was lying. I needed him to admit it before I could tell anyone the truth," Tess rambled on as she tried to explain.

"You could have told me the truth," Mitchie shook her head. "You should have told me the truth."

"I know," Tess agreed. "I'm so sorry."

"I…I…" Mitchie trailed off, unable to say what she wanted. She picked up again with a different subject, "I brought you some of my old baby clothes."

Mitchie started to go through the contents of the bag. Tess walked over and put her hands over Mitchie's to still her movements. "You're not angry? You don't hate me?"

Mitchie swallowed hard, "I am angry. I am beyond angry. I want to scream. I want to break things…but I can't. I don't know how to trust you or Shane, or if I ever will again. I know how Nate must feel and that makes me feel even worse because he doesn't deserve that kind of pain and betrayal. I am angry and heartbroken…but I can't hate you. Not now. Maybe I should, but I can't."

"Mitchie," Tess's voice cracked.

"I won't desert you," Mitchie replied. "I'm a better friend than that."

"Thank you," Tess whispered, before the tears of relief began to fall.

* * *

She broke down once after that and called Nate. She hoped to at least hear his voice on his voicemail message. The line got picked up, but no one spoke. Tess froze, listening to the static of the open air.

"Nate," She said softly.

There was no response.

"Nate, I know you're there, and you don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know that…I am so sorry. I don't expect you to ever forgive me now but…I'm sorry. And…well, I love you…so much, Nate. I'm never going to stop…I can't stop loving you. I...I know it's probably too late, but I need you Nate. I'm miserable without you, but I suppose I should be after what I've done. I just…you were always going to be it for me Nate…You didn't deserve this. I'm sorry."

Tess hung up the phone.

* * *

The next morning, Tess woke up to find someone sitting in the chair across the room from her bed. She would have been scared, but as she focused on the figure in the shadows of the darkened room, she would have known him anywhere. She didn't move—she wasn't sure she could have if she wanted to.

"Nate," Tess whispered, then said louder, "How did you get in here?"

"I'm the one who hid your spare key, remember?" Nate answered.

"Why are you here?"

Nate stood up and crossed the room. He placed a single object on her bedside table. Tess stared at it as it sunk in. It was a ring box. It didn't take much imagination to figure out what was inside. Nate sat down next to her on the edge of her bed.

"I was going to give it to you that night," Nate explained. "The night you told me."

"Nate, I'm—" Tess started, but he interrupted her.

"You're sorry. I know," Nate said. "When you first told me…I wanted you to be miserable. I wanted you to hurt the way I did. But when you called me last night and you said you _were_ miserable and that you thought you deserved to be…I realized I didn't want you to be hurting. I hate seeing you in pain. I want you to be happy. I love you too much to want anything else."

"I love you too, Nate."

"And that's why I need to know everything. When, and why and how—because when I wonder it's worse every time. I need to know so I can start to find a way to forgive you. Because I need you too, Tess," Nate reached over and ran his fingers through her hair. "I've tried for months to fight that, but I can't. I need you and I can't change that…You have to tell me everything."

So Tess told him everything.

* * *

When Tess went into labor, Nate was in her kitchen cooking her dinner. They had been taking it slow, starting at the beginning, back when they were friends. Nate had been spending more and more time at her apartment as her due date approached. Three days shy of her due date he had announced he was going to cook her favorite dinner because she would probably be stuck on hospital food soon. He was halfway through dinner when her water broke. He had collected her overnight bag and got her into his car so fast that he almost left with the food still cooking on the stove. While Tess laughed at him from his passenger seat, Nate ran back inside to shut off all the appliances that could start a fire while they were gone.

Nate got her to the hospital as quickly as he could. They got here into a wheelchair and began to wheel her toward the delivery room. Nate didn't follow her. The nurse pushing her paused.

"Doesn't the father want to be in the room?"

"Nate," Tess breathed.

"I'm not the…I'm not…" Nate began to stammer.

Tess pleaded with her eyes wide, "Don't leave me."

Nate took a few long strides to catch up with them. He never left her side again.

* * *

The next morning, Tess sat content in her hospital bed with her daughter nestled in her arms. Nate was sitting in the chair next to her bed. Mitchie was across the room, busying herself with rearranging the flowers in the bouquet she had bought at the gift shop. The sun was shining through the windows, and Tess was happier than she could have imagined.

There was a light knock on the open door to the room. All three heads turned to see who the newest visitor was. Shane cautiously entered the room, his hands buried in his pockets. No one said anything as he approached the side of Tess's bed.

Shane swallowed down his anxiety, looked Tess right in the eyes and asked, "Can I hold her?"

Tess smiled softly, "Of course. She's your daughter."

Shane gently took her from Tess's arms, careful to support her head. He looked down into his daughter's face and was taken aback. It was hard for him to believe the child in her arms was real.

"What's her name?" Shane looked up at Tess, but his eyes were soon drawn back down to the baby girls'.

"Amelia," Tess responded.

"Amelia," Shane tested the name on his tongue, "She's beautiful."

"Yes," Tess agreed. "She is."

* * *

It took a lot of time for everything to fall into place.

Nate remained by Tess's side for every step of the way. He kissed her again for the first time the day she brought Amelia home from the hospital. They were standing over the crib where Amelia lay sleeping. Tess had let out a contented sigh and Nate pulled her into a hug. As she pulled away, he couldn't help but drop a kiss to her lips.

Their relationship progressed as Amelia began to grow.

Nate was there for her first word. He was there to witness her first steps. It was on that momentous occasion that he dropped down on one knee and proposed to Tess. With tears in her eyes, she accepted.

When they got married, with the help of Mitchie, Amelia was able to walk down the aisle before her mother.

Shane was there through it all to watch his daughter grow up. His relationship with Mitchie was never quite the same and they eventually parted ways.

Years had gone by, Tess and Nate had their own children, and Amelia was growing up to be a happy and carefree little girl. Everything appeared to be leading to a happily ever after. Though there were the rare few times when someone would comment on how Amelia "looked just like her father." There would be a brief moment when Tess would see the age old hurt flash in Nate's eyes. But it would pass, and he would kiss Tess lightly on her temple, ruffle Amelia's hair, tell their boys to behave, and they would go back to looking like the perfect, happy family.


End file.
